Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 17, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365
Larry was unfortunate enough to suffer a blue-screen crash on his system. After repairs, Larry noticed that the way in which Excel parsed dates was backwards. For instance, if he entered 2/3, he expected Excel to parse it as February 3 but Excel was instead parsing it as March 2.
There are two possible causes for the problem, and you'll need to figure out which one it is. First, you should determine if the problem exists in all of your Excel workbooks or just in a few. If it is in a few, then it is probable that the date format has been set incorrectly for the cells in question. Follow these steps:
If the problem is exhibited in all your Excel workbooks, then chances are good that it isn't an Excel problem at all but is related to your operating system. (In Larry's case this is probably the culprit, as the blue-screen crash was related to the operating system.) You can verify this because if it is the operating system, the "backward" dates will be evident even in other programs. For instance, open Windows Explorer and take a look at some of the dates displayed for various files. If the dates there appear in an order different than you would expect, then the problem is definitely with the operating system.
In this case you will need to open the Control Panel, display the Regional Settings, and make sure that the settings are proper for the United States. Understand that making the change in the Regional Settings will affect not only Excel, but all programs on the system.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11928) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Backwards Date Parsing.
Program Successfully in Excel! John Walkenbach's name is synonymous with excellence in deciphering complex technical topics. With this comprehensive guide, "Mr. Spreadsheet" shows how to maximize your Excel experience using professional spreadsheet application development tips from his own personal bookshelf. Check out Excel 2013 Power Programming with VBA today!
Want to know which day of the month is the first business day? The easiest way to determine the date is to use the ...
Discover MoreIf you use Excel to maintain a collection of data, you may need to find information in one column based on information in ...
Discover MoreExcel allows you to perform quite a few operations using dates in your worksheet. Sometimes, however, the answer may not ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments